The Matsus were Japan's first attempt at an escort destroyer
suitable for mass construction. Conceived in 1942, they were very
loosely based on the Yugumos
but had only two boilers and used a hull form that eliminated as many
curved plates as possible. The weatherproof gun houses used by Japanese
destroyers since the late 1920s were abandoned for simpler, more antiaircraft-capable mounts that
were only partially shielded. Electric welding was used extensively in
their construction. The Matsus
were the
first Japanese destroyer type ships to alternate boiler and engine
rooms, as survivability was
a priority in their design.

Eleven additional units were ordered but cancelled
in favor of simpler designs.